1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the general art of cleaning, and to the particular field of cleaning the outside of a conduit.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
There are many industries that require the use of a large hose to accomplish an objective. Such industries include firefighting, nuclear power plant cleaning, shipbuilding and maintenance, and the like. Such industries require large volume hoses, that is, hoses that are generally large in outer dimension and long, and may be heavy in construction.
Such high-volume hoses may be very difficult and cumbersome to handle. The difficulty in handling can be accounted for during use of the hose; however, during maintenance of the hose, such difficulty can become onerous. This is especially true during cleaning of the hose. This difficulty is exacerbated if solvents are used during the cleaning process. In addition to the difficulty in handling the hose and in handling solvents or other fluids used to clean such high volume hoses, any debris cleaned from the hose must be contained and properly disposed of. All of these difficulties make the care and maintenance of high-volume hoses difficult.
Accordingly, the art contains several examples of devices and systems intended for use in the care and maintenance of high-volume hoses. However, most of these devices are expensive and do not adequately account for the debris associated with the cleaning operation. Still further, many of these devices are not amenable to hoses having a wide variety of outer dimensional sizes. While somewhat successful in handling high-volume hoses for large industries, many of the known hose cleaning devices are not amenable for use by a small business because of the above-described shortcomings.
Many businesses are not equipped to economically and conveniently maintain large hoses using the presently-available equipment. Many such businesses require the use of large hoses, but such hoses may not be as large as the hoses used in the firefighting industry for example.
One example of such a business is the carpet cleaning business. In the carpet cleaning business, a hose is brought from a truck into a house or other such building to clean a carpet by forcing fluid onto the carpet and removing debris from the carpet through the hose. This hose must be moved over carpet, and beside furniture and other elements that can be damaged or soiled by contact with the hose. If the hose is dirty, the hose itself can be a source of dirt which is counterproductive. That is, if the hose is dirty, it can actually soil the very carpet it is meant to clean. Thus, a hose used in a carpet cleaning operation should be kept as clean as possible. Debris, oil, grease and the like should be removed from the hose as often as possible.
However, most carpet cleaning businesses are not equipped to handle hose cleaning devices such as are known in the prior art and are used for large industries with large equipment and a large source of manpower.
Therefore, there is a need for a hose cleaning device that can adequately clean large hoses yet can be economically and conveniently used by a small business concern.
Still further, many of the known hose cleaning devices are not adaptable for use with hoses having a variety of outer dimensional sizes. For example, if a device is intended to clean firefighting hoses, that device is not easily adapted to clean hoses having outer dimensions much smaller than the outer dimension of fire fighting hoses.
Therefore, there is a need for a hose cleaning device that is amenable to use with a wide variety of hose outer dimensions.
Furthermore, many of the presently-known hose cleaning devices do not adequately remove debris from the hose and then remove that debris from the area of the hose being cleaned. If debris is not removed from the vicinity of the hose cleaning operation, that debris can re-settle back on a cleaned hose thereby vitiating the cleaning process.
Therefore, there is a need for a hose cleaning device that can remove debris from the vicinity of the hose being cleaned.
It is a main object of the present invention to provide a hose cleaning device that can be economically and conveniently used by a small business.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a hose cleaning device that is amenable to use with a wide variety of hose outer dimensions.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a hose cleaning device that can remove debris from the vicinity of the hose being cleaned.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a hose cleaning device that is amendable for use with the carpet cleaning industry.
These, and other, objects are achieved by a unit for cleaning a hose which comprises a hose reel that can conveniently be stored on a truck, such as that commonly used in the carpet cleaning industry; and a hose cleaning assembly mounted on the hose reel. The hose cleaning assembly includes a vacuum hose mounted on the hose reel to be movable between a first position and a second position, a hollow housing mounted on the vacuum hose and fluidically connected to the vacuum hose, a hose cleaning jet spray unit in the housing, and a hose supporting unit in the housing which includes a spring shock absorber and is movable between a first position and a second position spaced from the first position inwardly of the hollow housing. A source of hose cleaning fluid is fluidically connected to the hose cleaning jet spray unit, and waste water can be moved into and through the vacuum elements of the unit. A hose cleaning brush unit is located in the hollow housing, and a vacuum source is fluidically connected to the vacuum hose.
The unit adapts to any size hose because of the spring mounted hose supporting unit and the hose is washed with a jet spray and a vacuum is applied to be sure that any debris is moved away from the hose. The unit is thus amenable to a large variety of hose sizes and will economically and efficiently clean such hoses.